你們想一想，你們這個師父是個能挨罵的，不是罵人的；我不罵人的，在很小的時候歡喜罵人，但是年紀一大了，一懂什麼了，那以後就很少罵人了。有人罵我嗎？沒有關係，你盡量地罵。那麼修道的人，有人罵一罵你，那才看看你定力夠不夠，不是說人讚歎，說你好你就高興了，說你一句不好，就不高興了，這還是被八風所吹動。八風吹不動就是什麼叫罵呢？罵你，你就當他給唱歌聽呢！或者你不罵人，有人罵你，你也不懂這種語言，或者以為他是講日本話，講英文，講德文，講法文，講所有的這個語言，我不懂，這就沒有事了。他罵你，你就拿聽著他給你唱歌來讚歎你，不過他是反面來讚歎，不是正面。
所以修道就要受不了的你要受，忍不了的你要忍。能忍能讓，這才是有功夫的人；你不能忍不能讓，你還是沒有功夫。
有的人這樣說，說這個世界壞了。這是一種錯誤，世界根本就沒有壞。有的人又說，世界既然沒有壞，那麼是人壞了。這也是一個錯誤，人也沒有壞。那麼什麼壞了呢？這壞就是人的心壞了。人心壞了，所以把這個世界也弄壞了，把人也都弄壞了；心壞了就會造惡業，造惡業就會受惡報，受惡報就造成這個世界上不平安了 。所以要想人好，世界好，先要從人心做起；人心要好了，世界就沒有戰爭了。
好像我們金山寺，現在有兩位比丘去三步一拜，拜向西雅圖最高的那個山，也是諸佛菩薩所聚會的一個地方。那麼他是不是就拜這個諸佛菩薩呢？不是。他祈禱世界和平，祈禱世界的人心改惡向善，來把這個世界的災劫，一切的苦難都變了它，變成一個平安的世界，人人都是平安的人。人人變成一個平安的人，先要從心裡頭做起，心裡頭沒有鬥爭，沒有瞋恨，沒有貪心，沒有瞋心，沒有癡心，這個世界就會和平了。
為什麼世界不和平？就因為人人貪心太大了。大的人物就有大的貪心，小的人物就有小的貪心，每一個人有每一個人的貪心：這一個國家有多少人就多少人有貪心。各人不滿足他的慾望，就貪，貪名貪利。老百姓的貪心，就是賺多一點錢，怎麼樣能發財：做生意的，怎麼樣能賺多一點錢，從生到死都是為著這個錢。沒有錢，好像就沒有血了一樣，無論是哪一個國家的人都有這種的思想。種田的人有種田的貪心，種上一點種子，就貪秋天收的多一點，這是農人的貪心；讀書人的貪心，都想快一點讀書，讀完了或者做個大官；做工的人他的貪心也是想賺多一點錢：做生意的也是這樣；做官的呢，既然有官做又想有名譽，又想有地位，還是貪錢。所以古人有這麼幾句話說的很好，這是說的貪心的人，說：
「終日忙忙只為飢」：天天忙來忙去的，為的什麼呢？就為的怕餓著。
「得了飽飯又思衣」：方才吃飽了飯，又想穿一個美麗的衣服。
「衣食雨般具豐足」：衣服也夠用了，吃的也夠用了，衣食兩般都夠用了。怎麼樣呢？
「房中缺少美貌妻」：他家裡少一個很美貌的太太；要是女人，就是有一個很 俊俏的丈夫。
「娶下嬌妻並美妾」：嬌妻也有了，美妾也有了。
「出入無轎少馬騎」：出去回來沒有轎子坐，也沒有馬騎。現在可以說是沒有汽車，沒有輪船，沒有飛機。
「騾馬成群轎已備」：騾子也有了，馬也有了，也有轎子，汽車也有了，飛機也有了，輪船也有了。
「又無官職被人欺」：不是做官的，就受一般人欺負。
「五品四品嫌官小」：五品的官和四品的官，這是很小的官。
「三品二品也嫌低」：做三品、二品的官也覺得不高。 「一品當朝做宰相」：做了最高的官，做宰相了。
「又想面南去登基」：做了宰相還不知足，又要面南背北，面向南邊背向北邊去做皇帝，登基坐殿。
「一朝登基坐了殿」：有一天真是做了皇帝了。
「又想神仙下局棋」：他又想和神仙來下一下棋，得到長生不老了。
所以人心不足蛇吞象，那個蛇想把大笨象吞到肚裡頭去。你看！這怎麼能做得到呢？人就是這樣子，總那麼不知足，這都是由貪心造成的。
（錄音帶切斷）這個佛教徒沒有法子做。你怎麼做一個佛教徒？怎麼不做一個佛教徒？你做佛教徒也是佛教徒，不做佛教徒還是佛教徒；佛教徒就是佛教徒，沒有一個做不做。佛教包括一切眾生，沒有一個眾生可以跑到佛教外邊去。為什麼呢？一切眾生皆有佛性，皆堪做佛。不論你信佛不信佛都是佛教徒，不是說你信就是佛教徒，不信就不是佛教徒，不是的。因為你是個眾生，你就有佛性，你信不信都有佛性的。除非你不是個眾生，那才可以沒有佛性，但是你不敢這樣說，說你不是個眾生。
就是文殊、普賢、觀音、勢至都是眾生，何況我們呢？我們都是眾生之一，既然是眾生之一，那和佛根本都沒有分家。你是佛教徒，不是佛教徒，這是你自己這麼想，根本在佛教上沒有一個是不是。 不單信不信的都是佛教徒，就是罵佛、打佛、殺佛的都是佛教徒，沒有一個跑到佛法外邊去的。佛法是整個的，不是一個小方面的。你就是其它宗教，都是在佛教裡邊呢，沒有走到佛教外邊去。 這也是自己身體上的肉，哪個地方壞了，還是這個身體上的肉。所以在這個世界的眾生，信不信佛都是佛身上的，有佛性的，都是和佛是一個的。除非你說我沒有身體了，那沒有身體，什麼也沒有了。
性定魔伏朝朝樂；
妄念不起處處安。
修道的人就要修這個定力。定力怎麼樣修呢？先要持戒。戒是「止惡防非」，「諸惡不做，眾善奉行。」持戒律就要常常律己，常常檢討自己，問問自己今天所行所做，對世界上是有功還是有過？要是有功，不妨繼續去做去；要是有過，趕快就要懺悔。持戒律的人不可以障礙其他的人，尤其不可令其他的人生退道的心，這叫障礙其他的人發菩提心。障礙其他人發菩提心，你自己修道就不會很快地有所成就。你不可以惱亂一切眾生，況且發菩提心的人，無論任何人發菩提心，都應該幫助他成就他，不破壞他的菩提心。
待續
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All of you think it over: Your teacher is someone who gets scolded, not one who scolds others. When I was very young, I liked to scold people. Since growing up, however, I have seldom scolded others. I don't mind when others scold me. They can scold all they want. When people scold you, it is a test to see if you have enough samadhi. You shouldn't be overjoyed by a few words of praise or upset by a few words of criticism. That is to be blown about by the eight winds. When you cannot be blown by the eight winds, then you don't know what it means to be scolded. You treat the scolding as a song that people are singing for you. Since you don't scold others, when you hear a scolding it doesn't even register. You don't understand what the person is saying. You think the person is speaking Japanese, English, German, French, or some other language that you don't know. So, it's no problem. When someone scolds you, just pretend they are singing a song for you, praising you— except that the praise is from the reverse side.
Therefore, in cultivation, you must take what you cannot take and bear what you cannot bear. Skilled cultivators are those who can be patient and who can yield to others. Without these abilities, you cannot be said to have skill.
Some people say, "The world has gone bad." That is a mistaken view. The world itself cannot go bad. Others say, "Well, the world may not have gone bad, but people have gone bad." That's also wrong. People have not gone bad. What has gone bad then? The human mind. Since people's minds have gone bad, it has ruined the world and the people in it. When the mind is bad, it creates evil karma and consequently incurs an evil retribution. When evil retribution is incurred, there is no peace in the world. Thus, if you want people to be good and the world to be good, you must start with the mind. When the mind is good, there will be no more wars in the world.
At Gold Mountain Monastery, for example, there are two Bhikshus doing a "three steps, one bow" pilgrimage to Seattle, to one of the highest mountains there, a place where the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas congregate. Are they simply bowing to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? No. They are praying for world peace. They are praying that the minds of people in the world will change from evil to good. In that way, the world of calamities, disasters, and miseries can change into a peaceful world filled with peace-loving people. In order for everyone to be a peace-loving person, we must start by ridding our minds of contention, hatred, greed, anger, and foolishness. Then the world will become peaceful.
Why is there no peace in the world right now? It's because people are too greedy. People in high positions are greedy on a large scale. Those in low positions are greedy on a small scale. Each person has his own greed. However many citizens there are in a nation, that's how many greedy people there are. When people's desires are not satisfied, they are greedy. They are greedy for fame and profit. Among ordinary people, businessmen are greedy to make more money and strike it rich. From the time they are born until they die, they live for money. If they don't have money, it's as if they don't have blood. This attitude pervades every nation. Farmers have the greed of farmers. They plant their seeds and then hope to reap a big harvest in the fall. That's the greed of farmers. Scholars are greedy to quickly complete their studies and get a high position in the government. Laborers are greedy to make more money, just like businessmen. Government officials already have a high position, fame and status, yet they too are greedy for money.
There is an ancient saying about greed:
All day long you are busy just to keep from starving. You work so hard, all because you are afraid of starving. After eating your fill, your thoughts turn to clothing. Once you have had a good meal, you want to dress up in pretty clothes.
When you have obtained abundant food and clothing, when you have all the clothing and food you need, you find that your home lacks a beautiful wife. You need to find a lovely wife or a handsome husband.
Having acquired an elegant wife and pretty mistress, once you have found both a lovely wife and a pretty mistress, you lack a sedan-chair and a horse for your transportation.You still lack a sedan chair to sit in or a horse to ride. Nowadays, we would want a car, a ship, or a plane.
Once you have a herd of mules and horses and a sedan- chair as well, you still get scorned because you don't have an official post. Once you have these vehicles, you still get mistreated because you aren't a government official.
Entering the fifth and fourth ranks, you are still a minor official. Even in the third and second ranks, you consider your rank too low. As an official of the fifth and fourth ranks, you are still a petty official. As an official of the third and second ranks, you still consider your rank too low.
As prime minister you are the top-ranking official in court. Yet your ambition is to ascend the throne and face the south. Finally, you become the Prime Minister, the highest ranked official. Yet you still aren't satisfied. Your ambition is to face the south— that is, ascend the throne as the emperor.
One day you do ascend the throne and preside over the royal court. Then you wish to play a game of chess with the immortals. One day your wish comes true and you become the emperor. Then you want to play chess with the immortals so as to gain immortality.
This goes to show how the human mind is never satisfied. It is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. How could the snake do it? That's how people are. Due to their greed, they can never be content.
[Part of the lecture was not recorded.] You cannot "be" a Buddhist. A Buddhist is a Buddhist, period. You cannot "be" a Buddhist or not be one. Buddhism encompasses all living beings. No living being can run outside of Buddhism. Why not? All living beings have the Buddha nature and can become Buddhas. Whether or not they believe in the Buddha, they are all Buddhists. It's not the case that you are a Buddhist if and only if you believe in the Buddha. As long as you are a living being, you have the Buddha nature. Whether or not you believe in the Buddha, you have the Buddha nature. The only reason you might not have a Buddha nature would be that you were not a living being. But you wouldn't dare say that you are not a living being.
Even the Bodhisattvas Manjushri, Universal Worthy, Guanyin, and Great Strength are living beings, so how could we not be living beings? Since we are living beings, we are of the same family as the Buddha. You may say that you are or are not a Buddhist, but that is your own opinion. In Buddhism, this is not even an issue. Not only are believers and nonbelievers both considered Buddhists, even those who scold the Buddha, beat the Buddha, or kill the Buddha are Buddhists; none of them have gone beyond the boundaries of Buddhism. Buddhism encompasses the whole scheme of things, not just one small piece of the picture. Even if you belong to another religion, you are included in Buddhism; you have not gone beyond Buddhism.
No matter which part of you is ailing, it is still a part of your body. Therefore, whether or not the living beings in the world believe in the Buddha, they are like a piece of flesh on the Buddha's body; they all have the Buddha nature. They are one with the Buddha. Unless you say, "I don't have a body" Well, if there is not a body, there is nothing.
When one's nature is calm and demons are subdued, one ishappy every day.
When no discursive thoughts arise, one is at peace everywhere.
Cultivators of the Way have to cultivate samadhi. How does one cultivate samadhi? First of all, one must hold the precepts. The precepts stop evil and prevent wrongdoing.
Refrain from all evil and practice all good deeds.
Holding precepts requires that we constantly restrain and examine ourselves. We ask ourselves, "Have I created merit or offenses in the deeds I have done today? If I have created merit, then I ought to continue. If I have created offenses, I should quickly repent and reform." Those who hold precepts should avoid obstructing other people. They must be careful never to cause anyone to retreat in their cultivation. That amounts to obstructing others from making the resolve for Bodhi. If you obstruct others from making the Bodhi resolve, you will not achieve rapid success in your own cultivation. You cannot disturb any living being, how much less one who has made the Bodhi resolve. No matter who he is, if that person has made the Bodhi resolve, you ought to help him to succeed instead of ruining his resolve.
To be continued |
